When God’s Way Doesn’t Lead to Your Dreams: Just Look How Far You’ve Come

“When it seems who you really want to be
Is someone you’ll never become
Just look how far you’ve come.”

So goes the last part of the chorus of a Christian song popularized by Chris Christian in his album “A Mirror of Your Heart.” The song entitled “Just Look How Far You’ve Come,” may not be among the most popular cuts in that album, but it’s certainly one of the songs that have left a significant impact in my early adult life.

Although I first heard the song in the mid 80’s when I was taking up BS Zoology as a pre-med course in Mindanao State University, it did not leave any remarkable effect to me then. It was only when I heard it again in the early 90’s during my senior year in BS Nursing that the song made a special impact to me.

As I mentioned earlier, I took up Zoology as a pre-med course hoping to proceed to medicine after graduation. But due to financial constraints, I had to put off going to medical school and taught Physics instead at my High School alma mater. And during that time, I was discouraged from going to Medicine but encouraged to take up nursing instead when a lot of doctors were enrolling in Nursing with the hope of going to work in the United States.

So when I heard that Chris Christian song again one day during my last year as a nursing student, it prodded me to do and realize something. It urged me to go back and face my childhood dream of becoming a doctor. I realized then that it had not been dealt with properly before – that I had not exactly let go of it, but merely buried it somewhere. I further realized that I had to let it go completely at some point so I can move on without any hassle or drawback. I thought then that it was the best time to do it as I was about to become a nurse pretty soon.

Hearing that song again that time had been an eye opener of some sort. It made me realize and accept the fact that I could never be a doctor, that being in the medical profession as a doctor would remain in my field of dreams.

However, that song then had instilled a special encouragement in my heart. I told myself that although I could not become a doctor, I was about to become a nurse – still within the medical world. And up to this day, many doctors in my country would enroll in nursing just to be able to work abroad – isn’t that ironic? The lyrics of that song have certainly made me look how far I’d come then even if I hadn’t attained my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.

To those whose dreams have remained elusive till now, let me share with you the entire chorus of this song.

“Don’t give up, don’t give in, give it all to Him
For He cares so much more than you know
When it seems who you really want to be
Is someone you’ll never become
Just look how far you’ve come.”

I do hope it will encourage you to follow your dreams; and if it seems God’s way does not lead to them; don’t despair as it is not the end of the world yet. Just look how far God has led you and rest assured He is leading you to a better place where you can also bloom and be productive.